Responsibilities of the Financial Planner

A recent graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, Kevin Waida studied communications and business with a double minor in business and financial planning. Kevin Waida has also received practical experience in financial planning as a summer intern with PFS Investments.

A financial planner guides clients in managing their assets and preparing financially for the future. Financial planners work closely with each client to understand his or her individual goals, which may range from the purchase of a family home to a comfortable retirement. Planners also evaluate clients’ present situations, including their assets and income as well as their financial responsibilities, which the planners then use as starting points for developing goal-oriented action plans.

Planners assist their clients in implementing the newly developed strategy and continue to assess its progress as the years go by. Staying in close contact with clients, a planner can also advise a change of plan to meet shifting circumstances or goals. If a client suddenly faces the risk of a layoff, for example, a planner can help him or her to adjust savings strategies to create emergency funds and prepare for a potential drop in income. Financial planners can also help their clients adapt to changing family circumstances, altered medical needs, and other personal events, as well as the opportunities presented by the development of new savings and investment vehicles.